French lung experts visit Vietnam

A French expert guides Vietnamese doctors on post-surgery care techniques (Photo: laodongthudo.vn)

Ten doctors and technicians from the French-Vietnamese Association of Pneumology visited the National Lung Hospital in Hanoi from November 5-9.

They and their Vietnamese peers at the hospital exchanged experience and knowledge in the areas of ribcage surgery, anaesthesia, occupational therapy, post-surgery pain control, and anatomical pathology.

During their visit, experts from the association held pre-surgery consultations and took part in operations, some of which were filmed and screened live for Vietnamese and French doctors outside the operation theatre. 

According to Director of the Hanoi-based hospital Nguyen Viet Nhung, the health establishment has been collaborating with the association for the past decade, gaining valuable expertise from leading lung experts from France.

Once only capable of carrying out a few hundred operations per year, the National Lung Hospital is now able to perform 60 ribcage surgeries every week, with increasingly better outcomes reflected in the patients’ post-surgery health and recovery.

Founded in 1992, the French-Vietnamese Association of Pneumology aims to boost exchange between Vietnamese and French medical agencies in terms of healthcare, medical administration, education, research on lung disease treatment, and supporting the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory patients.

Japan shares experience in natural disaster mitigation

Damage caused by a storm in Lao Cai last October

The application of policies and advanced technologies from Japan towards reducing the damage caused by floods and landslides was highlighted at a seminar held in Hanoi on November 9 by the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA) in collaboration with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

The event is significant for disaster prevention and mitigation in Vietnam.

As a country hard-hit by natural calamities, Japan spent an average of 1.2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to 60 billion USD during the 2010-2016 period, on the implementation of disaster prevention, response, recovery, and rehabilitation programmes.

According to Yusuke Sakai, a representative from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the construction of sabo dams – a leading model in channels for debris flow control – is one of the most effective measures to reduce the damage of landslides. 

Sabo dams are built at the upstream areas of rivers where they suppress the flow of sediment.

At the event, participants also introduced some state-of-the-art technologies used in natural disaster mitigation in Japan, including a global satellite mapping of precipitation (GSMaP) and a global high-resolution 3D map service (AW3D).

Head of the VDMA Tran Quang Hoai said that Vietnam is among the countries facing the most severe impact of climate change. The country has suffered from 20 out of the 21 forms of natural disasters, only being sparred by a tsunami. 

Flash floods and landslides have created critical losses to Vietnam, accounting for 10.1 percent of the total loss in terms of human and assets caused by natural disasters, he added.

Nguyen Trung Kien, from the Department of Science-Technology and International Cooperation under the VDMA, said that previous research on flash floods and landslides have made significant contributions to lessening risks caused by future natural disasters.

However, he stressed that the research should be made more detailed to ensure precise forecasting and suitable responses to natural calamities.

In the time to come, competent authorities should immediately implement the Government’s Decree No.76/NQ-CP dated on June 18, 2018 and the Prime Minister’s Direction No.19/CT-TTG dated July 13, 2018 on the prevention of natural disasters. Furthermore, preventative works should be put in place, including a pilot monitoring system, warning map system, and early flood warning system, among others. 

Young disabled Vietnamese students participate in India IT contest

Scene at the Global Information Technology Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC), which is underway in New Delhi, India 

Four Vietnamese students with disabilities are taking part in the Global Information Technology Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC), which is underway in New Delhi, India.

The event, running until November 11, is designed to narrow the digital gap between youths of the participating nations through the enhancement of IT skills, as well as bolster disabled children’s engagement in social activities.

GITC is being held every year in the Asia- Pacific region, with such events held in the past in countries like the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The event is host to around 300 participants, including 120 young people with disabilities from 24 Asia-Pacific nations. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony on November 9, President of Rehabilitation International Korea Kim In-kyu, the event’s sponsor and co-organiser, said that IT devices can help people, and especially youth, with disabilities interact with the world and gain access to opportunities otherwise reserved for their able-bodied peers.  

An IT forum was held at the event, in which countries presented their work and achievements in ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities in the IT sector.

Addressing the seminar, representative of Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Technology Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong said that there are nearly 7 million disabled people living across Vietnam, accounting for 7.8 percent of the country’s population. 

Vietnam signed the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and issued the Law on Persons with Disabilities two years later. The country is striving to perfect its laws and policies to further promote the rights of people with disabilities, she noted. 

‘Robot Wars 2018’ officially launched

The organization board is checking all robots participating in the contest

The 1st contest ‘Robot Wars 2018’ was kicked off yesterday in the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education. 

This competition is expected to be held annually by the HCMC Association of Mechanical – Electrical Enterprise, aiming to create an innovative and exciting playground for students of the field while boosting the link between universities and businesses.

20 teams registered to take part in this year’s contest, each of whom will design and then resemble their own fighting robot in accordance with the criteria issued by the organization board. All robots in this competition must install a remote energy switch device provided by the organization board.

The total value of the prizes is around VND200 million (approx. $8,574).

Discussion Hang Trong Folk Paintings to open in HCMC

A Hang Trong painting

A talk on folk art and Hang Trong painting will take place at The Factory Contemporary Arts Center in District 2, HCMC on November 10-11 with the participation of artisan Le Dinh Nghien, art collector Thanh Uy and researcher Trinh Thu Trang.

Le Dinh Nghien is the only surviving artist of Hang Trong painting who maintains his passion in making, restoring and preserving Hang Trong paintings. At the talk,tThe artist will explain folk artworks to participants by both words and on-site demonstration.

Researcher Trinh Thu Trang will talk about a research on Hang Trong folk paintings and the application of theirs details in graphic designing while art collector Thanh Uy will share his reasons for collecting Hang Trong paintings, as well as their unique values in Vietnam traditional designs.

Hang Trong painting is believed to appear in the 17th century in hang Trong Street in Hanoi. the unique art representing the aesthetic, spiritual, and religious values of the people of ancient Hanoi is falling into oblivion.

Several Hang Trong painting collections will be also put on displayed and available for purchase.

HCMC leader efforts ongoing to settle Thu Thiem planning issue

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong talks to Thu Thiem residents on November 7

Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said he would arrange another meeting with District 2 residents next week after he have had two meetings with them to solve issues about Thu Thiem new urban area planning. 

The meetings have been held to listen to residents’ opinions and complaints to seek a common voice to completely solve complaints relating to the new urban area.

At the second meeting on November 7, Mr. Phong committed to doing his best for legitimate rights of residents in Thu Thiem new urban area and have compensation policies to resolve disadvantages for them at a dialogue with people affected by the planning.

Attending the meeting was 35 households in Binh An ward, District 2.

At the meeting, the representative of an inter-agency group of the city pointed out ten contents in need of being changed in the compensation, assistance and resettlement policy for Thu Thiem residents to ask their opinions.

Right after the representative finished reporting, some people immediately responded saying that the Government’s inspection conclusion 1483 has not fully referred to their complaints and they proposed to thoroughly consider the urban area project.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha from Binh An ward said that the conclusion  determined the 4.3 hectares in Quarter 1 to locate outside the new urban area’s boundary while residents’ complaints and denouncement say that up to five quarters in three wards Binh Khanh, An Khanh and Binh An are outside the boundary.

Therefore, the municipal authorities should not use only Conclusion 1483 to solve all complaints in the area.

Another resident expressed disappointment about responsibility evasion and push in solving the complaints in Thu Thiem new urban area. 

A resident even proposed to launch criminal prosecution against individuals breaking regulations while implementing the new urban area project to completely solve long lasting complaints for residents.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Diep, head of Central Citizen Reception Board, said that Thu Thiem residents have complained for over 20 years and he has sided with them for nine years.

According to Mr. Diep, during the implementation of Conclusion 1483, residents have the rights to complain about unsuitable and wrong contents.

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong pledged to fully record residents’ opinions. Because the case is beyond the competence of the city so HCMC People’s Committee will work with the Government inspectorate to clearly report residents’ opinions and wishes and propose the inspectorate to solve.

Mr. Phong said that the city has organized meetings to listen to residents’ opinions. He informed of residents of how their complaints will be solved, Mr. Phong emphasized.

Answering residents’ questions if the chairman has real regard for solving Thu Thiem problem, he said that if he did not want to settle the issue, he would have not organized meetings to listen to residents’ opinions.

Solving Thu Thiem problems is not only to ensure residents' rights but also for the city’s development, he added.

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that he will have the third meeting with people in the remaining three wards next week to further to listen to their opinions and improve compensation and resettlement policies.

The city has required working groups to give ten problems surrounding compensation and resettlement problems to get residents’ opinions.

The working groups are urgently reviewing problems in the 160 hectare resettlement site of Thu Thiem new urban area and clarify responsibilities of relevant individuals.

“The Party does not abet corruptions and harassment harmful to residents’ benefits,” Mr. Phong stressed. He committed to doing his best for legitimate benefits of Thu Thiem residents and have legitimate compensation policy to solve residents’ disadvantages.

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that conclusion 1483 has pointed out wrongdoings during the implementation of Thu Thiem new urban area planning. The city has taken the initiative in working with ministries and agencies to implement the conclusion.

In respond to some opinions saying that the conclusion does not fully reflect problems in Thu Thiem new urban area and it is needed to launch a comprehensive investigation over the area planning, Mr. Phong said that the Government inspectorate is improving the conclusion.

Talking about wrongdoings during the process of land acquisition as per residents’ opinions, Mr. Phong affirmed that the city will require relevant sides to specific reports to handle.

Craft villages gear up for OVOP exhibition in Hanoi

A craftsman from Phu Vinh village working on a rattan-made house built in the shape of a cloud.  

The ‘One village one product’ (OVOP) exhibition and the Vietnam Local Specialities Fair will be held in Hanoi from November 21-25 by the Hanoi Promotion Agency (HPA) and the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association (Vietcraft), expecting to attract more than 400 booths by craft villages and businesses across the country.

HPA Deputy Director, Nguyen Mai Anh, said that the OVOP exhibition, the first to be held in Hanoi, aims to advertise typical handicraft products, souvenirs, and designs of Hanoi’s craft villages.

It also offers an opportunity for the participating businesses to showcase their creativity and signature identity of their products, thus helping to increase their competitiveness and promote made-in-Vietnam products to international visitors, importers and distributors.

The exhibits will be arranged in two spaces, one dedicated to honouring Hanoi’s traditional crafts, such as bamboo and rattan, ceramics, silk, and lacquer, and the other will showcase products by villages nationwide which have participated in the OVOP programme.

Since several months ago, craftsmen in Phu Vinh village, Chuong My district, in Hanoi, have been busy with the installation of the “Cloud’ house, which has been created from thousands of bamboo and rattan baskets.

As this is the first time that Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan products will be showcased at such a large scale exhibition, the villagers consider it a fruitful opportunity to introduce their signature products to visitors at home and abroad.

Artisan Nguyen Van Tinh, who was born in a family with three successive generations working in making bamboo and rattan in the village, said that the exhibition is a promising venue for him and his fellow villagers to establish connections with new trade partners and reach customers.

Meanwhile, Thuy Ung villagers in Hoa Binh commune, Thuong Tin district in Hanoi, are completing the final steps in the making of combs, accessories and jewellery from buffalo horns to be displayed at the exhibition.

Not only being consumed domestically, the village’s products have been exported abroad and won much interest and appreciation from foreign consumers. According to Vu Thanh Liem, his firm’s combs have been exported to Japan at a cost of more than VND700,000 each.

In Ha Thai lacquer village in Duyen Thai commune, Thuong Tin district, Do Hung Chieu, the owner of Chieu Ha firm, has worked to diversify the designs of their lacquer products and make the products more highly applicable in modern life.

His firm’s products will be soon presented to visitors at the OVOP exhibition, he said excitedly.

Vice Chairman of Vietcraft, Le Ba Ngoc, said that the OVOP exhibition has attracted enthusiastic participation from many craft villages from across the country.

Stressing the organising board’s motto that Vietnamese people have the right to consume Vietnamese goods which were made at superior quality, Ngoc revealed that all of the handicraft products to be on display at the exhibition are high-quality export products, but are sold for domestic consumers at affordable prices.

Hanoi: Festival features traditional silk weaving

Traditional silk weaving is being highlighted at the Van Phuc Culture – Tourism – Trading Handicraft Village Festival, which opened in Van Phuc silk village in the suburb of Hanoi on November 8.

The event, which lasts until November 17, features a wide range of activities, including a worship ceremony, festive activities and a crafts market. Art shows and folk games will entertain tourists while trading will take place at silk stores every day until 11pm.

Food stalls will serve local cuisine while bonsai plants and flowers will be available at the site.

Van Phuc village, located 10km west of Hanoi’s centre, has a hundred-year history of handicrafts.

Its products were first introduced to the world at the Marseille Fair in 1931 and in Paris in 1932, where they were called delicate handicraft products of Indochina.

Between 1958 and 1988, the village’s products were exported to eastern European countries before being exported to other countries all over the world starting in 1990.

More non-smoking tourist spots coming to Hà Nội

A campaign calls to build up Hội An as a non-smoking tourist attraction. — Photo giadinh.net

Local authorities and travel companies are determined to work together to build non-smoking tourist destinations, restaurants and hotels in Hà Nội.

They discussed the harm of smoking during a conference hosted on Thursday in the capital city by the Hà Nội Tourism Association.

Nguyễn Mạnh Thản, chairman of the association, said that in recent years, non-smoking tourism has been developed in many cities such as Hà Nội, Hạ Long, Hội An, Nha Trang and Đà Nẵng.

“We plan to carry out more campaigns at popular tourist spots in Hà Nội such as Ngọc Sơn Temple, Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử Giám and Thăng Long Royal Citadel.”

“We call on people to stop smoking to protect people’s health, keep the public environment clean and build a civilised society and a successful tourism industry.” 

Hoàn Kiếm Lake to host British festival at weekend

Musical Sunshine on Leith will be screened at the InspireMe Festival on Saturday. — Photo independent.co.uk

The InspireMe Festival, organised by the British Embassy in Việt Nam with cooperation from Hà Nội People’s Committee, will present a wide range of cultural activities around the capital city’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake this weekend.

The festival will include the participation of 56 booths from British companies supporting the themes creativity, gender equality and environmental protection.

Music performances, fashion shows and films will entertain guests during the three-day festival beginning on November 9. British ambassador Gareth Ward and Hà Nội People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung will both speak at the festival’s opening ceremony.

The winners of a singing contest will be announced during the second day of the festival. The best twelve will cover hits by British singers and groups such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Adele and Sam Smith. The overall winner and runner-up will have the chance to perform at the Queen’s Birthday Party at the British embassy.

On the opening night, a fashion show will present the latest collections from brands such as Karen Millen, Coast, Mitre and Dr Martens. Models will show off áo dài with British designs.

Outdoor film screens will show musical Sunshine on Leith and animation Wallace and Gromit with Vietnamese subtitles on November 10 and 11 at 2.45pm and 7.15pm, respectively, at Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square.

The ‘Love, Hanoi Pride’ parade will take place on November 11 from 1.30pm to 9.30pm including the participation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community. The parade will also include live music, stalls and community activities.

Talks on science and technology will be held on November 10 and 11 at Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square. Attendees will be able to watch a short science fiction film, read books and take part in a quiz to win prizes.

A wildlife village, made from environmentally-friendly materials such as bamboo, wood and paper, will be built for nature lovers at the foot of the Cảm Tử Monument. A giant elephant will be placed at the entrance to the village, to which festival-goers can attach their climate change commitments.

An exhibition of photos by domestic and international photographers will be set up along the entrance to the village. Wildlife films and games will also be on offer.

On the final night, football fans will be able to watch the Premier League match between Liverpool and Fulham on a large outdoor screen at Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square at 6.30pm. 

Public's key role in policy communication

The public should be central in the process of policy communication to ensure the effectiveness of communication and the implementation of policies, heard an international scientific conference in Hà Nội yesterday.— Photo  dangcongsan.vn

The public should be central in the process of policy communication to ensure the effectiveness of communication and the implementation of policies, heard an international scientific conference in Hà Nội yesterday.

The workshop on public policy communication and public reception literacy, organised by the Academy of Journalism and Communications (AJC), the National Assembly Newspaper and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), seeks to involve the public in policy making and implementation through effective communication.

AJC Director Trương Ngọc Nam said the public should not only be the subject of policies but also participate in policy making, give feedback on the policies and assess their impacts.

“This requires the development of new communication models and solutions such as e-Government or technology-based forms of communication to create better opportunities for the public to receive, analyse and give feedback on public policies,” he said.

Information transparency was considered a basic condition for the public to implement their “right to be informed”, he said. Only when the public got accurate and full information, could they discuss, analyse and give feedback on public policies.

Communications about National Assembly meetings, for example, helped people to easily follow policy discussions of NA deputies, he said.

Editor in Chief of the NA Newspaper Đỗ Chí Nghĩa agreed that connecting the public in policy making was an important measure to increase policy communication effectiveness and improve public policy reception, assessment and feedback.

“This also helps ensure the rights to information of the public and increase the accountability of policy making agencies,” he said.

The conference is part of a project implemented by KOICA and the AJC over the past three years on improving the implementation capacity of Government public policies.

KOICA country director Kim Jinoh said under the project, Korean experts provided training and shared experience with Vietnamese peers on public policy communication, public relations and communication strategies.

The conference allowed Vietnamese and Korean experts to seek more effective public policy communication initiatives and solutions to develop public policy communication for Việt Nam, he said.

Sharing Korea’s experience in public policy communication, professor Se-Hoon Jeong from Korea University said that apart from using traditional forms of communications such as newspapers, radios and televisions, Korea has recently made use of new media like online mobile media and social networks to inform local people of public policies.

“Using social media makes it easier and more effective to disseminate information as policymakers can send personalised messages to individuals basing on their gender, age and education level. And people also find it easier to give feedback and comments on public policies,” he said.

However, he noted that people should be cautious when accessing information online to avoid fake or inaccurate news.

Participants also pointed to the need for the press to provide accurate, short and simple information relating to public policies.

Diversifying forms of policy communications to help people in different areas in different conditions get easier access is also important, they said.

Ha Giang launches website, mobile app to promote tourism

Leaders of Ha Giang and VNPT launch the tourism website and mobile app on November 8 

Ha Giang launched a smart tourism website at http://myhagiang.vn and the mobile app “Ha Giang tourism” on November 8 to help tourists enjoy their trip to Vietnam’s northernmost province.

The website and the app, built by the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), in Vietnamese with some English headings, feature numerous services, through which travel firms and holidaymakers can access information about local tourism such as accommodation, cuisine, tourist attractions, shops and entertainment options.

These systems also contain digital maps, helping users find directions to places of interests or create their own travel routes.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son said the portal and mobile app launch is a breakthrough in Ha Giang’s tourism development. They are also channels to receive and deal with tourists’ feedback in a timely manner.

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Hong Hai noted with huge tourism potential, Ha Giang holds an important position in Vietnam’s tourism industry. It is home to renowned sites like Hoang Su Phi terraced rice fields, Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, Quan Ba Heaven Gate, Ma Pi Leng Peak, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Vuong Family’s Palace and Tien Waterfall – Gio Pass.

Thanks to such advantages and efforts of authorities and people, local tourism has enjoyed good growth, with tourist numbers up 10 – 20 percent year on year. Images of Ha Giang’s land and people have spread, turning the province into a travel and investment destination, he added.